Get Recycled Custom Kicks Made from the Culturally Iconic London Underground

Although I’ve never been to London, I’ve always wanted to go for a few reasons: it’s home to The Clash (hence the title), Shakespeare spent a lot of time there, and The Tube (also known as the London Underground), is one of the most amazing metro systems in the world.

London is the epitome of culture and coolness, so it’s only proper that some of the coolest recycled shoes in the world would come from the core of this city.

The Above + Below London footwear company has created true European art with these amazing recycled train and bus seat shoes. Creators Caroline Read and Robert Taylor decided about 10 years ago that they wanted to preserve the vintage and ultra hip textiles from London’s Underground train carriages and buses.

Using recycled seat covers and tire rubber from the trains and buses, as well as recycled leather, the duo created the first pair of Above and Below London shoes.

Here are some cool features of the shoes:

• The first line of shoes pays tribute to the classic style of Chuck Taylor All-Stars.
• Every pair of shoes has a piece of historic London hand-picked and weaved into its fabric.
• The company is supported by Britain’s largest bus company, FirstGroup.
• Every time a pair of shoes is sold, the company donates a tree to Trees for Cities, a London charity whose mission is to get more trees planted in the city.
• The leather on the shoes comes from recycled check book wallets that were heading to the landfill.
• Each line of shoes is named after and actual underground line in the London Underground.
• The website has a suggested sound tracks page that features artists like The Clash, The Cure, Elvis Costello and The Kinks.
• The brand is owned by Creatively Recycled Empire, a London company that has recycled over 3.5 tons of train and bus seat fabric waste into cool products for both people and their pets.

Besides making you look like a rock star, the most amazing aspect of these shoes is that they’re made from 100% recycled UK waste. Caroline Read and Robert Taylor definitely had the right mindset to see something truly eco-friendly and historic in these shoes.

If you’re as excited as I am to own a sustainable piece of London, then check out the shop page here!

Here's a quick peek at what Greenopolis would do if we made recycled shoes
by: Mike Demma

If Greenopolis were to make our own recycled shoes, we would start off by adding a 1960's geometric fabric to the design. As old as these patterns are, they still have a heavy presence today. The placement would help present a natural and clean look to the high top shoe.

Greenopolis would be represented by the "g" symbol with the recycling arrows around it, located near the heal of the shoe. This design would be a collaborative effort between Greenopolis and Supra footwear to make sure it is made of 100% recycled material.

(Pattern) Photography by: Vicky Grubb
http://www.somethingfine.co.uk